Mower



Sept. 10, 1940.

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Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to mowers and has for an object to provide an extremely simple and practical moWer for cutting grass, Weeds and similar vegetation.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a mower which Will be extremely easy to handle and manipulate.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a mower with which extremely sharp turns can be made.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a mower having pivot Wheels properly positioned with respect to the center of gravity to the mower so that the mower may be readily tilted on said pivot Wheels to raise the front driving Wheels above the ground and terminate propulsion of the mower.

An object of the invention resides in arranging the pivot Wheels directly rearwardly of the front driving Wheels and in fairly close proximity thereto.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a mower in which all manipulation and handling of the mower, excepting when the mower is running forward, can be accomplished by tilting the mower on the pivot Wheels.

A still further object of the invention resides in spacing the pivot Wheels from one another and in arranging the pivot Wheels laterally of the grass cutting mechanism so that the grass cutting mechanism is free to operate without obstruction. The feature of the invention resides in utilizing the pivot Wheels both as pivot Wheels and as gauge Wheels for determining the height of the standing grass.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated Aand/or described.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a mower illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the mower taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 taken on line ti-Li of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevational sectional detailed view takenon line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional detailed View taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In the mo-Wing of the grass by power mowers it becomes highly desirable to have a mower which can be readily manipulated and which can be easily handled and rapidly turned about. The present invention provides a mower by means of which all of these desirable characteristics are procured.

lVIy invention comprises a frame to Which is supported' through front driving Wheels il and #2 and pivot Wheels @t and 55. A handle iii is attached to the frame lil and extends upwardly and rearwardly therefromf. Mo-unted on the frame iii is a grass cutting device indicated in its entirely by the reference numeral ill. A motor l5 is also carried by the frame iii and serves to drive the Wheels l l and EZ and operate the grass cutting device M. These various parts will now be described in detail.

The frame lil is best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and comprises two side plates 2! and 22 constructed of sheet metal. These side plates are formed with fianges 23 and 24 which project o-utwardly therefrom. The plates 2| and 22 are held in spaced relation by means of a tube 25'which has secured to the ends thereof ilanges 25 which are attached to said plate by means of machine screws 21. At the upper portions of the side plates Zi and 22 are provided short uprights 28 and 29 which are welded thereto and which extend upwardly therefrom. Attached to these uprights by means of bolts 30 is a rear cross bar 3! Which holds the two side plates properly spaced at their upper rear- Ward portions. At the lowermost rearward portions of side plates 2l and 22 is provided a bed knife bar 32 whichis attached to the flanges 24 of the side plates 2I and 22 by means of screws 33, 34 and 35. These screws permit of adjustment of the plate 32 for a purpose to be subsequently and fully described. Attached to the upper portion of the frame lil is a sheet metal guard 15 which is constructed at its forward end with a depending flange Hi and at its rearward end With an upwardly extending flange Il. This guard. is further constructed at its ends With depending fianges IB Which overlie the inner surfaces of the side plates 2! and 22 and which are bolted thereto. VThe fiange ll is similarly bolted to the vcross bar 3l of the frame. v

The two front drive Wheels l I and l2 are mounted and driven in the following manner. Within the tube 25 is disposed an axle 36 Which is journaledV in suitable bushings therein, not shown in the drawings. The two Wheels ll and |2 may be of conventional design and are preferably formed With hubs 37 having rims 38 on which are mounted rubber tires 39. The Wheels H Vand 12 are rotatably mounted on the axle 3G and are drivenbymeans of said axle through ratchet Wheels M attached to said axle and paWls [52 pivoted to the hubs lil and cooperating With the ratchet Wheels.

The handle @3 may be constructed of Wood or any other similar material and is attached to a bracket il Which is secured to the cross bar 3! of frame lil. This bracket may be Welded to said cross bar or otherwise attached thereto. Two bolts 415 extend through said bracket and handle to rigidly attach the handle to the frame lt. For the purpose of bracing the handle I3 a brace lil is employed Which is attached to the handle 53 by means of a bolt 48 and which is similarly attached to the upright 28 issuing up- Wardly from the end plate ti. This is accomplished by means of a bolt El which passes jointly through said brace and upright. In addition to the brace Lil another brace fiil is used which is attached to the handle l3 and to the engine l5. If desired, bolt 158 may also be used for securing the brace 12/7: to the handle lt', as illustrated. The handle li', is constructed With a handle bar 52 Which extends transversely thereof at its upper end and is secured to the handle by means of a lag screw 53.

The motor 85 may be of any desired construction and for the purpose of simplicity a small gasoline engine has been shown Which is provided with a Crank shaft 43 from Which power may be taken from the engine. Inasmuch as the construction of the engine forms no feature of the present invention, the same has not been shown in detail although it can readily be comprehended any type of engine can be used or an elecric motor or other source of power can be employed for the purpose. The motor l5 is mounted on frame Work not shown in the drawing Which is secured to the bar El and the tube 25. The engine is further braced by means of the brace @lil which is connected to the upper portion of the same through a bolt ii and to the handle HB of the mower as previously described.

The grass cutting device Hi consists of a bed knife 54 and a reel 55 cooperating therewith. The bed knife 5G is secured to the bed knife bar 32 by means of a number of screws 5? Which pass through slots in the bed knife not illustrated and are threaded into the bar 32. By means of screws 33, 34 and 35 the elevation of the bed knife may be adjusted at will By means of screws Sl, the position of bed knife, forWardly and rearwardly, may be likewise adjusted.

The reel 55 consists of a number of spiders 58 Which are attached to a shaft 59. Shaft 59 extends transversely between the two side plates 2! and 22 and is journaled in suitable bearings lil attached thereto. The spiders 58 are constructed with arms 62 which support at their ends blades *33 adapted to cooperate With the bed knife 55 and to cut the grass coming between the bed knife and the said blades.

The rearward portion of the frame lil is Wheel b supported by means of the two pivot Wheels Gd and Inasmuch as these Wheels are identical in construction and supported in the same manner only Wheel 65 will be described in detail.

This Wheel is constructed from sheet material and is formed With a Web 56 and a rim 67 integral thereWith. The Web 66 is attached to a fiange fiil formed on a hub 69. Hub 59 is journaled for rotation on a stub shaft 'll Which issues outwardly from a bracket 72. A Washer 13 mounted on the end of stub shaft 'H is held in place b-y means of a cotter key 14 which in conjunction with bracket 12 deprives the wheel 65 of endwise movement along the stub shaft. The bracket 12 is constructed With an cif-set vertical portion '55 Which is adapted to slide in a vertical groove 76 formed in the rearward portion of the side plate 22. This groove forms a guide along Which the portion 15 is guided for vertical movement Whereby Wheel 65 may be raised and lowered With reference to frame ID. The bracket 72 is held in adjusted position With respect to the groove '56 by means of a bolt 'll' which passes through the side plate 22 and a slotted hole 'iii in the bracket 12. By means of this con.- struction the Wheels and 65 may be raised and lowered to gauge the height of the standing grass.

The two pivot Wheels are of a diameter considerably greater than the diameter of rollers ordinarily used With mowers of the reel type. It Will also be noted that the treads of these Wheels are fairly large so that the said Wheels support the rearward portion of the mower frame equally as well as the rollers heretofore used.

The pivot Wheels 64 and 65 are so arranged that they trail the front drive Wheels ll and lt and so that the same are dispcsed entirely outwardly beyond the reel 55 and bed hnife 513. Furthermore the stub axles on Which these Wheels are mounted are also disposed outwardly of the reel :1'

and bed lnife so that the discharge from the cutting device liis free from the pivot Wheels. By means of this construction the pivot Wheels can be positioned fairly closely to the front drive Wheels ll and i2 and much closer to the center IL of gravity of the mower than if positioned rear- Wardly of the reel and bed knife plate as is customary and necessary When utilizing rollersv The pivot Wheels 64 and @5 are of suicient diameter and have a tread sufcient so that the same properly support the entire Weight of the mower when the mower is tilted back on the same in a manner to permit of easily and readily moving the mov/er over the ground on these Wheels.

I have found that the trailer Wheels operate best when the diameter thereof exceeds one-fourth the diameter of the drive Wheels. About four inches in diameter to every lbs. Weight has been found to be desirable. I have also found that if Wheels of a diameter as small as the diameter of ordinary rollers be employed that it becomes practically impossible to manipulate the mower once the same has been tilted up on such Wheels or roller. This permits of raising forward portion of the mower by pivoting the entire mower on the pivot Wheels, for the purpose of manipulating the mower as Will be her-einafter more fully described.

The drive Wheels H and 92 are driven by the motor i5 in the following manner. Attached to the cross bar di of frame EB are tWo standards SI Which are constructed With bearings 82 Which journal a countershaft 83. This countershaft is provided with a pulley 84. A belt passes over this pulley and over another pulley 86 attached to the cranl: shaft @3 of the motor 15. The pulley 84 rotates freely on shaft 83 and may be coupled thereto by means of a clutch 81. Clutch Bl is operated by a lever 88 which is pivoted to a bracket 89 secured to the cross bar 3! A link Qt is connected to the lever 88 and is guided at its upper end by a guide 5! secured to the handle lit. This link is bent as designated at 92 to form a handle by means of Which the same may be manipulated.

Between the flanges 23 and 24 of the side plate 21 is formed a gear case 93. A plate 94 overlies the plate 2l and forms the outer wall of this gear case. Flanges lformed on this plate extend up to the plate 2! and form the other walls of the case Which are indicated at 95 and 96. The plate 94 is attached to the plate 2| by means of bolts itil. The reel shaft 59 extends through the gear case 93 and also through the plate 94 of said gear case. This shaft has mounted upon it, Within the gear case 93, a spur pinion 91 and upon the exterior of the plate 94 a sprocket Wheel 98. The reel shaft 59 is driven from the countershaft 83 by means of a chain 99 which passes over the sprocket Wheel 98 and another sprocket Wheel EQ! fast on the shaft 83.

The axle 36 on Which the two Wheels i l and 12 are mounted extends through the gear case 93 and is driven in the following manner. Attached to the side plate 26 of frame lt and Within the gear case 93 is a stub shaft lfl2. This stub shaft rotatably supports a gear cluster 13 Which consists of a spur gear IM and a spur pinion WE adapted to rotate on said stub shaft as a unit. The gear IKM meshes With the spur pinion Sl attached to shaft 59 while the spur pinion 35 meshes with a spur gear WG fast on the axle 36. By means of this construction the Wheels l and IZ are rotated at a reduced rate of speed as compared to the reel 55.

The method of operating my invention is as follows. The engine is first started by means of a crank lever I'l While the clutch 81 disconnects shaft 83 from pulley 84. As soon as the engine is running properly the clutch 81 may be engaged by manipulating handle 92 of link 90. This sets in operation the reel and. at the same time propels both Wheels H and |2 through the ratchets M and. the pawls 42. The operator now follows the mower and steers the same by means of the handle bar 52. If the operator desires to change the course of the mower he may readily raise the drive Wheels ll and IZ from the ground. Such movement is procured by tilting the handle [3 downwardly and pivoting the entire mower on the pivot Wheels and 85. This is readily accomplished for the reason that the two pivot Wheels 64 and 65 are in close proximity to the Wheels II and [2 and are fairly near to the center of gravity of the mower. Due to the fact that two independent pivot Wheels are employed instead of a roller the entire mower may be swung about or backed up without appreciable effort and such maneuvering of the mower is quickly and conveniently accomplished. True differential action cannot be ordinarily procured by the use of ratchet Wheels and pawls. However With my invention the front driving Wheels may be raised and the mower turned about equally as conveniently as Where a gear type of differential is used. When the mower is in position the same is brought into action by merely raising the handle 13 Whereupon the Wheels H and l2 engage the ground and propulsion of the mower immediately begins. With mo-wers constructed in the ordinary manner and utilizing rollers it is necessary that the rollers be situated appreciably rearwardly of the reel and bed knife so that the discharge from the grass cutting device follows in advance of the roller. With the rollers so positioned it becomes impossible to conveniently raise the mower by tilting the same on the rollers and it therefore becomes necessary to throw out the clutch before the ordinary power driven mower can be turned about or reversed. With applicants invention, the mower can be run close up to an object and by merely raising the forward portion of the mower the propulsion of the mower is terminated. This permits a cutting close to the object. In other mowers the operator must be able to guage the distance traveled by the mower during disengagement of the clutch in order to cause the mower to stop at theright locality. When the operation of the mower is tc be temporarily stopped the shaft 83 is disconnected from the engine through the manipulation of the clutch 81.

My invention is highly advantageo-us in that an `extremely inexpensive mower is provided. The mower is extremely easy to handle and can make extremely sharp turns. The stopping of the mower is accomplished by action on the part of the operator Which is extremely natural so that no Confusion results. By means of the large diameter pivot Wheels the mower is properly supported When the mower is in operation. The pivot Wheels of my invention serve the dual function of pivoting the mower and also serve as gauge Wheels for determining the height of the standing grass. With my invention a clear space is left immediately rearwardly of the cutting device so that there is'nothing on Which the discharge from the cutting device may be deposited. With my invention the two separate pivot Wheels accommodate the differential action of the front Wheels procured through the ratchets whereby the machine may be sharply turned. The pivot Wheels of my invention are located sufiiciently close to the center of gravity of the mower so that the mower can be readily pivoted on the same.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made Within the scope of What is claimed Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In'a power driven mower, a frame including spaced side plates, a source of power carried by the frame, front driving Wheels carried `by the plates and disposed outwardly thereof for supporting the frame said driving Wheels being driven by the source of power, a bed knife carried by the frame and disposed rearwardly of the axis of the driving Wheels, a reel ccoperating with the bed knife and disposed between said plates, said reel being driven by the source of power and discharging rearwardly a pair of pivot Wheels supporting the frame at the rearWard portion thereof, guides formed on said plates at the rear- Ward ends thereof and extenclingv in an up and down direction, brackets carrying said pivot Wheels, means on said brackets slidable along said guides, and means for adjustably securing said brackets relative to said side plates.

ROBERT S. KINKEAD. 

